If the Teacher is 15 Minutes Late, Can You Leave? (15-Minute College Rule Truth)

When you go to class and are late, your professor will most probably not allow you to attend the classroom. Definitely, it is one of the most irritating things for you and you may always think of the teachers who come late to the class. There is no punishment for them. But what happens if there is a punishment for the teachers who come late as well? Yes, it is true. As a college student do you know about the 15-minute college rule?

Quick Takeaways

• The 15-minute college rule, allows you to leave the class if the professor or the teacher is 15 minutes late. However, there are very few countries that follow this rule.
• It is essential to know the reasons why your professor may get late to the class-

1. If the teacher is a substitute teacher
2. The impunctual personality of a teacher
3. Traffic
4. Health Issues
5. A few other reasons may be

However, you must read till the end so that you get a better understanding of the 15-minute college rule.

What is the 15-minute college rule indeed?

According to the 15-minute college rule, a student can leave the class if the professor or the teacher is 15 minutes late. Class lateness can be considered improper behavior and the students might consider that indiscipline. Students may also learn that as improper behavior. Class lateness of professors can be due to various reasons so judging a professor without knowing the reasons can also be inappropriate or unethical.

Does the 15-minute college rule actually exist? or is it a Myth?

No there is no such fixed rule as a 15-minute college rule. Though some schools and colleges especially in the United States of America or in some other countries do allow students to leave after 15 minutes if the teacher does not show up. But there is no such rule as the 15-minute college rule as such.

If the teacher does not show up for the initial 15 minutes, students should wait patiently as the teachers or professors do not run late every day. It is in rare cases that the professors show up late. So let us know some reasons for the lateness of a teacher or a professor in the class.

Some possible reasons for the lateness of a professor or a teacher in the class

We have discussed the reasons as given below-

1. If the teacher is a substitute teacher

It often happens that the subject teacher is absent and the daily schedule is interrupted, so the school authorities allot a proxy teacher or a substitute teacher. It can also happen that the proxy teacher may take time to reach the class that is allotted or the proxy teacher is informed at the last moment so there is a mismanagement of time frames. Thus in such cases, students should patiently wait for the teacher or the class representative should check with the authorities once.

2. The impunctual personality of a teacher

There are sometimes certain teachers that are not punctual enough or somehow have poor time management skills. Some teachers are unable to plan a proper schedule or are a little slow-paced in completing tasks. In such cases, the students should at least understand the nature of the teacher as nobody is perfect. It may also be the case that the teacher might be good at teaching but just a little impunctual sometimes. Or if the teacher always seems to arrive late then the institute authorities can take measures against it.

3. Traffic

Due to the development taking around in cities, or due to rush hours, there tend to be heavy traffic jams on the road. It may sometimes happen with teachers that they might have got caught up in traffic jams. This may be a valid reason if a teacher is punctual but just gets late sometimes.

4. Health Issues

Illness does not ring up a bell and informs a person, it just shows up out of nowhere. Sometimes professors might get late as they might be feeling unwell or have some health issue. In such cases, students should be patient or check with authorities and also be understanding of the situation and not make chaos in the class.

5. A few other reasons may be:

• The professor might get late to the next class as they might sometimes be teaching the previous class even after the bell rings.
• Some professors tend to procrastinate sometimes, then in such cases, they might turn up late.
• Teachers can sometimes also be late to class due to some natural calamity or some unavoidable emergency.

What should be done by students in reaction to the professor’s lateness?

• Students should read the rules in the school book or the student diary about the waiting period if a teacher does not show up. In the case of college students, they should ask the authorities if such a rule about lateness does exist and if can they be leaving after a certain time. However, if you think following this rule will help you to get more free time, you must remember that you will be getting enough free time in the normal rules.
• Patience is the key to many things in life. Students should try being patient and wait for the professor to show up.
• While waiting for the professor, students can utilize that time waiting period in completing the pending work, assignments, or even homework. This can be the best way to save time and utilize that time fruitfully.
• Students should not leave abruptly, as they might not have considered the further schedule for the day, and might miss an important surprise test, or even an important topic. Haste is hazardous sometimes.
• Students should leave only when the teacher always shows up late, if lateness is in rare cases then students should not leave preferably.

Conclusion

Some schools and colleges especially in the United States of America or in some other countries do allow students to leave after 15 minutes if the teacher does not show up, but it is not a fixed rule for all colleges. Students should simply learn to be patient and try to consider waiting for the professor for better academic growth.

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